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FMCSA to Let Carriers Dispute Crash Fault

Photo: FMCSA

Following up on a two-year-old proposal, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will launch on Aug. 1 a demonstration program that will enable motor carriers to dispute the determination of certain truck crashes as “preventable.”

The program could lead to improved Compliance, Safety, accountability scores for carriers if the agency reclassifies the cause of crashes previoulsy deemed preventable..

Based on recommendations made by the American Trucking Associations and other public comments submitted on an earlier notice abouit an agenbcy crash-causation study, on July 12, 2016 the agency proposed that it would accept from carriers requests for data review (RDRs) on accident determinations via a demonstration program.

Under this scheme, the agency would accept RDRs “to evaluate the preventability of certain categories of crashes” through its DataQs national data-correction system.

More specifically, FMCSA proposed that a crash challenged through an RDR would be found “not preventable” when documentation submitted with the RDR established that the crash was, indeed, not preventable.

The newly released notice, published in the Federal Register for July 27, gives the Aug.1 start date for the demonstration program and describes the crash types that will qualify for the demo; the process for submitting RDRs to evaluate the preventability of a crash; and how “decisions on preventability” will be displayed in agency systems. It also explains the data to be collected through this program “for use in future decisions about a longer-term crash preventability program.”

As of Aug. 1, carriers may begin submitting RDRs on crashes— which must have occurred on or after June 1, 2017. FMCSA stated that “the burden is on the submitter to show by compelling evidence that the crash was not preventable. However, in these and all crashes, FMCSA reserves the right to request additional information on the crash, which may include any documentation the carrier is required to ...Read the rest of this story

CVSA Sets Operation Safe Driver Week in October

Image via CVSA

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Operation Safe Driver Week has been scheduled for Oct. 15 to 21, with law enforcement across the country identifying unsafe driving behavior in commercial and passenger vehicles.

Law enforcement personnel will be issuing warnings and citations for drivers, targeting unsafe driver behaviors that make up the leading cause of crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration cites driver behavior as the critical reason for more than 88% of large truck crashes and 93% of passenger vehicle crashes.

The Operation Safe Driver Program was created to help reduce the number of crashes, deaths, and injuries involving commercial vehicles due to unsafe driving behaviors. During the week, there will be increased commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle traffic enforcement.

Dangerous driving behaviors targeted by the event will be speeding, distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seatbelt, following too closely, improper lane change, failure to obey traffic control devices and other similar violations.

Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by CVSA, in partnership with FMCSA and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, and aims to help improve the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner – either in or around a commercial vehicle– through educational and traffic enforcement strategies to address individuals exhibiting high-risk driving behaviors.

Related: CVSA Releases Results from Unannounced Brake Safety Day

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Arrow Truck Sales Donates Volvo VNL to Women In Trucking

Photo: Women In Trucking

Arrow Truck Sales of Kansas City, Mo., has announced that it will donate a 2014 Volvo VNL 670 to the Women In Trucking Association for its 2018 Truck Giveaway.

Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT will give away the vehicle on March 24, 2018 during the 9th annual “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel,” at the Mid-America Trucking Show at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky.

“We are thrilled to be able to give a truck to one of our members at our annual Salute to Women Behind the Wheel,” said Voie. “I am especially looking forward to handing over the keys to the Volvo to allow one deserving member the chance of a lifetime, thanks to Arrow Truck Sales and their very generous donation.”

Arrow Truck Sales is a source of used heavy- and medium-duty trucks with locations across the U.S. and Canada. It is a Gold Partner supporter of the WIT Association.

“Arrow has long been supportive of equality and diversity efforts within the trucking industry," said Jim Stevenson, Arrow's director of national accounts and WIT board member. "We look at this as an opportunity to help a WIT member by providing a 2014 Volvo VNL 670 to support his or her success as an owner-operator.”

The Women In Trucking Association is a nonprofit organization aimed at encouraging the employment of women in the trucking industry, promoting their accomplishments, and minimizing obstacles to women in the industry.

Applications for the 2018 Truck Giveaway are open until Nov. 15, 2017. The contestant must be at least 23 years old and hold a valid commercial driver's license and be a member in good standing of WIT before September 30, 2017.

To qualify, a driver must complete an application form to verify eligibility and write a short essay on why it ...Read the rest of this story

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Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson sells 31pc stake in airline for £220m as part of new tie-up with Air France-KLM

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is to receive a major windfall by selling down part of its stake in Virgin Atlantic in a major joint venture deal set to include Air France-KLM and existing investor Delta Air Lines. Air France-KLM is to buy a 31pc stake in Virgin Atlantic for £220m. Virgin will hold on to a 20pc stake in the trans-Atlantic airline, and hold onto the chairmanship, as a result of the deal which will see a closer union between the four airlines. Delta, which bought a 49pc stake in Virgin Atlantic from Singapore Airlines in 2013, will at the same time buy a 10pc stake in Air-France KLM for €375m, gaining a seat on the board of its European counterpart. Sir Richard Branson will remain the largest majority shareholder after the joint venture deal Alitalia's involvement is through its existing partnerships with Air France-KLM and Delta, but the deal will not see the Italian carrier gain any equity interest in the joint venture or have a seat atop the entity. Shai Weiss, chief commercial officer for Virgin Atlantic, said the deal was not linked to the UK's impending exit from the EU. “I can say really definitively this has nothing to do with Brexit,” he said, adding the rationale was entirely commercial. Mr Weiss said the airline did not fly intra-Europe and so the joint venture was not a way to secure such flying rights post-Brexit. He said the success of its existing joint venture with Delta, which had helped provide so-called feed traffic - passengers who take a short haul flight to a hub airport before travelling on a long haul flight - could now be replicated with passengers from Europe. If the UK endures a hard Brexit, rules which says airlines have to be majority domestic ...Read the rest of this story

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